Previewed at WWDC, launching in the fall.
iOS 8.2 May Be Released in March, Ahead of April Apple Watch Launch
Apple's next major iOS update, iOS 8.2, includes the WatchKit API and support for the Apple Watch, so it's been widely assumed that the software will launch alongside the device. According to sources that spoke to BGR, iOS 8.2 may not be released at the same time as the Apple Watch after all, coming instead in March.
An unspecified March release date means the software could come just a week or so ahead of the Apple Watch, or over a month, depending on the specific launch date of the Apple Watch. Tim Cook recently confirmed the Apple Watch will be released in April, but he did not narrow down the month-long timeframe. It is not clear why Apple might choose to launch the update ahead of the Apple Watch, as it is heavily focused on the device aside from some bug fixes and other minor improvements to the iOS 8 software.
As we reported last week, Apple has been asking some high-profile developers to have their Apple Watch apps ready by mid-February, a request that could be related to a potential March software launch and accompanying event.
BGR has been fairly accurate with its iOS release date predictions. The site correctly determined several iOS 7 beta release dates, most notably targeting March of 2014 for the launch of iOS 7.1, which turned out to be accurate. The site has, however, been wrong on some occassions, like when it inaccurately predicted the launch of iOS 7 beta 6 and beta 7.
Apple has seeded five iOS 8.2 betas to developers thus far, and the most recent beta was released just yesterday. We've already been seeing hints of what the Apple Watch will be capable of thanks to developer efforts thus far, and Apple Watch sightings have been picking up as employees in Cupertino test the device ahead of its launch.
Update 2:10 PM PT: 9to5Mac is also reporting that iOS 8.2 will be released in March, possibly during the second week of the month.
An unspecified March release date means the software could come just a week or so ahead of the Apple Watch, or over a month, depending on the specific launch date of the Apple Watch. Tim Cook recently confirmed the Apple Watch will be released in April, but he did not narrow down the month-long timeframe. It is not clear why Apple might choose to launch the update ahead of the Apple Watch, as it is heavily focused on the device aside from some bug fixes and other minor improvements to the iOS 8 software.
As we reported last week, Apple has been asking some high-profile developers to have their Apple Watch apps ready by mid-February, a request that could be related to a potential March software launch and accompanying event.
BGR has been fairly accurate with its iOS release date predictions. The site correctly determined several iOS 7 beta release dates, most notably targeting March of 2014 for the launch of iOS 7.1, which turned out to be accurate. The site has, however, been wrong on some occassions, like when it inaccurately predicted the launch of iOS 7 beta 6 and beta 7.
Apple has seeded five iOS 8.2 betas to developers thus far, and the most recent beta was released just yesterday. We've already been seeing hints of what the Apple Watch will be capable of thanks to developer efforts thus far, and Apple Watch sightings have been picking up as employees in Cupertino test the device ahead of its launch.
Update 2:10 PM PT: 9to5Mac is also reporting that iOS 8.2 will be released in March, possibly during the second week of the month.
[ 76 comments ]
Top Rated Comments
(View all)
44 months ago
:apple: watch event / 8.2
:apple: watch will release in April. MY guess is that they will do an event in March for the big unveil announcement; during this they will say 8.2 is available TODAY along with announcing the pre-order date for watch.
Anyone else agree?
:apple: watch will release in April. MY guess is that they will do an event in March for the big unveil announcement; during this they will say 8.2 is available TODAY along with announcing the pre-order date for watch.
Anyone else agree?
44 months ago
I wonder if apple can create a kinetic watch like in seiko where it would charge the battery just by the movement of the hand. Hence no need to charge it every night :D
I see what you did there :D
44 months ago
It is not clear why Apple might choose to launch the update ahead of the Apple Watch
Of course it's clear, per a couple recent releases: make sure it's stable, with time to fix & update as needed, before the :apple:Watch arrives.
Gonna suck big time if they release 8.2 with the :apple:Watch, only to discover a big screwup that makes the new product's premier look bad.
If nothing else, will be a smoother release if people have their iPhones updated before getting the :apple:Watch, instead of dropping >$350 on something new then going "oh, crap, that's right, I have to update the phone too..."
44 months ago
I wonder if apple can create a kinetic watch like in seiko where it would charge the battery just by the movement of the hand. Hence no need to charge it every night :D
44 months ago
Automatic Quartz watches use electrical power
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_quartz
"A rotating pendulum inside the case is attached to a relatively large gear which meshes with a very small pinion. As the wearer moves, the pendulum turns and spins the pinion at a very high speed - up to 100,000 rpm. This is coupled to a miniature electrical generator which charges a storage device which is a capacitor(s) or a rechargeable battery. A typical full charge will last between two weeks and six months.":p
That would be nice, but mechanical watches just work by storing energy in a spring...which would likely power a smartwatch for maybe a second, if that.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_quartz
"A rotating pendulum inside the case is attached to a relatively large gear which meshes with a very small pinion. As the wearer moves, the pendulum turns and spins the pinion at a very high speed - up to 100,000 rpm. This is coupled to a miniature electrical generator which charges a storage device which is a capacitor(s) or a rechargeable battery. A typical full charge will last between two weeks and six months.":p
44 months ago
the closer it gets, the less excited I am.
How kind of you to share your thought with everybody who doesn't give a toss!
44 months ago
I really want to buy it, but I am getting first generation jitter. 2nd gen will almost undoubtably have longer battery life and may be few new features (e.g., GPS).
Apple products maintain their value so well. Buy it and sell it when Gen 2 comes.
[ Read All Comments ]
Apple has initiated a new worldwide service program offering free repairs of MacBook and MacBook models equipped with low-profile, butterfly mechanism keyboards, after the company determined that...
Reddit has announced the rollout of its customizable News tab feature to most users of its iOS app. After limited alpha testing of the tab over the last few weeks, Reddit says it has acted on...
A USB-based vulnerability that allows for the brute forcing of a passcode on an iOS device has been discovered by security researcher Matthew Hickey, reports ZDNet.
The method, which bypasses...
For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with Fuse to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a Side Winder, which is an accessory that's designed to let you quickly and easily wind up...
Alongside a major version 3.0 update that rolled out to its iOS app [Direct Link] earlier this week, Turner Classic Movies has also expanded support for its "Watch TCM" app to tvOS devices....
Nanoleaf's new 12-sided light-up remote joins its existing Nanoleaf Light Panels and Nanoleaf Rhythm, adding a whole slew of smartphone-free physical control options for your HomeKit setup in one...
Apple Maps vehicles equipped with LiDAR sensors have begun collecting street-level data in Japan for the first time this month.
Apple will be surveying the Tokyo and Urayasu areas between...
Microsoft has announced a new visual search feature for its Bing app that lets users snap a picture with their phone's camera and use it to search the web.
The new visual search function...
